Electrophoretic deposition or electrodeposition is predicated upon the phenomenon that charged particles suspended in a liquid medium migrate under the influence of an electric field and are deposited onto an electrode. Electrophoretic deposition of particulate materials to form coatings is currently used in a wide variety of industrial applications, such as in the manufacture of enameled ironware, in applying paint and rubber coatings to metal and plastic articles, in the formation of dielectric coatings on electrical devices, and in other similar industrial processes. Electrophoretic deposition has many advantages over other conventional methods of applying coatings, such as spraying, dipping, brushing and the like, in that the coating is deposited more effectively with regard to the full utilization of the material in the suspension, as there is substantially no waste of particulate materials; and the electrophoretically applied coating is generally more uniform in thickness and density. Accordingly, there is an interest in finding new and useful coatings that can be applied by electrophoretic deposition.
Additionally, in industries such as the oil and gas industry, substantial amounts of equipment are destroyed by corrosion and abrasion. For such industries, there is an interest in coatings that can survive in both chemically and abrasively harsh environments. If such coatings can be applied electrophoretically, then additional benefits as outlined above are also realized.